A Spy Among Friends cast feature on this week's Radio Times cover

Indeed, after the meagre rations on offer during the World Cup, these are the prime cuts that will provide a rich and varied menu for you to feast on before, during and after Christmas.

You can take your pick from Damian Lewis’s star turn in A Spy Among Friends, Helena Bonham Carter becoming Crossroads’ matriarch Noele Gordon, David Tennant playing Alexander Litvinenko, or Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes retelling the story of John Stonehouse, the 1970s Labour minister who faked his own death.

Those are just four of the dramas we have selected as the most engrossing stories waiting to be told. Pick up an issue to read more.

Also in this week’s Radio Times:

• Simon Schama on life-threatening experiences while filming, the USA going backwards on civil rights, Kanye West’s terrifying outbursts, pulling his punches in describing Jewish terrorists, nearly appearing on Strictly, and why the BBC is scared of unleashing him.

• Acclaimed novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on delivering the first Reith Lecture on Radio 4, the trust people the world over have with the BBC, and how social media creates censorship.

• Armando Iannucci on Liz Truss, thin-skinned politicians, Twitter’s takeover and why he’s giving it 12 months, taking on the titans of Silicon Valley, and why real life is now too absurd for The Thick of It to be revived.

• Speaking to Radio Times’ View From My Sofa podcast: Zara McDermott on hiding her serious side, being judged by others, how social media is contributing to eating disorders, and why parents should be monitoring their children’s social media use.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or find out what's on with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.

The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is now on sale – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.